Exercising device



P 7, 957 c. H. SPOONER EXERCISING DEVICE Filed Dec. 28, 1955 F l' ELE- INVENTOR 6704mm )9. Spam/v5? BY I r I 7641/ United States Patent 2,806,695? EXER'CISING DEVICE Charles H. 'Spooner,Miam'i, Fla. Application'December28fl955, Serial No. 555,840

1 Claim. or. 272- 83) This invention relates to devices for strengthening or rehabilitating human muscles and in particular the muscles of'the hands, wrists, arms and back. Frequently physicians recommend the use of exercising. devices of some sort to strengthen wrist and hand muscles after an injury in order to facilitate and speed normal recovery of the muscles. Certain forms of athletic activity also require the use of such muscle conditioning mechanisms which, in general, are old and the therapeutic value of which is well known.

Among the objects of the present invention are to increase the utility of such devices and add incentive to use of the same. Frequently after the user has exercised regularly over a period of time he reaches the conclusion that the directions given by his physician have been complied with or that all the benefit to be derived through use of the device has been obtained. He then casts 1t aside, whereas in fact and in truth the full benefit to be derived has by no means been obtained. My invention in a large measure eliminates this waning interest and provides a specific objective which may be controlled and gauged to the particular needs of the user.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange a device of this type that it possesses wide utility insofar as the strength and endurance of the individual using it are concerned. This facilitates salability in that adjustment can be made by the purchaser and user to the physicians directions or to the particular needs under consideration.

This invention therefore provides an exercising device which has a first handle portion and a second handle portion connected to biasing means which urge the handle portions into a normal first position and provide resistance to an induced movement from this first position to a stressed second position. The biasing means also provides a biasing force for return movement of the handle portions from the second position to the normal first position.

The first handle portion is equipped with counting means and the second handle portion has operator means which is aligned for operative engagement of an actuator means on the counting means. In use, therefore, as the handle portions are moved between first and second positions, the counting means records the number of movements of the handle portions.

Various other objects and meritorious features of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures and wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an exercising device in normal first position in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the exercising device in a stressed second position.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the exercising device comprises handle portions 14 and 15 which are connected together by a hinge pin 16. The handle portions have clips 17 at the curved portions near their joined ends 2,806,699 Patented Sept. 17, 1957 ice for removably receiving asuitable biasing means 18 such as a spring of predetermined strength. Springs of various tension may be installed as desired in the clips.

The first handle portion-14 has a counting means 19 mounted thereon, and in the modification shown the counter means is a well known hand operated counter 20 (shown in dotted lines) and is housed within the supporting-means 21 clamped 'to the first handle portion 14 by set screw '22. Preferably, the counter 20 does not include a return spring for the actuator means 24 so that full movement of the handle portions is required before recordation by the counter-20, as will be explained.

Thesecond handle'portion 15 has an operator means 23 in operative alignment with the counting means 19. Uponmovement of the handle portions 14 and 15 with respect to each other from the normal first position shown in Fig.1 to thestr'essed second position shown in Fig.- 2, the operator means 23 contacts and actuates the counting means 19 'thereby countingthemovements of the handle portions 14 and 15 between the first and second positions.

The counting means 19 has an actuator means 24 which in turn includes an induced movement actuator 25 and a return movement actuator 26, these being opposite faces of the oversize actuating knob on the counter 20.

The operator means 23, which has a base 32 mounted on and clamped to the second handle portion 15 by set screw 27, includes an induced movement operator 28 which is aligned with the induced movement actuator 25 for engagement thereof when the handle portions are brought into close proximity in the stressed second position of Fig. 2.

The operator means 23 also includes a return movement operator which has a rod 30 afiixed to the base 32 and journaled in a suitable bearing 31 mounted on the housing support means 21, the bearing 31 being, for example, a pivotally mounted pin with a hole therethrough for slidably receiving the rod 30. A lug 29 is mounted on the rod 30 between the bearing and the return movement actuator 26 at a position such that the return movement actuator is contacted and caused to actuate the counter 20 when the handle portions move from the second position of Fig. 2 to the first position of Fig. 1.

Uponoperation, the operator means 23 will contact the counting means 19 and record the number of movements of the handle portions, thereby providing an accurate count of the exercising movements.

To insure complete return by the user of the handle portions 14 and 15 from the stressed second position to the normal first position, a counter 20 is used which has an actuator means 24 not equipped with the usual return spring which returns the actuator means to reset condition. The operator means is designed specifically to require complete compression of the device on each compression stroke in order to cause operation of the counter. 4

The actuator means 24 is pressed in at the end of the full compression stroke and a complete expansion is required prior to the resetting of the actuator means.

The counter may be of any well known design and, according to the needs, may record a digit on each inward as well as each outward movement, or the count, through proper ratchet mechanism-s of known design within the counter itself, may record only after a complete inward and outward cycle. The counter adds the digits and the digital sum can be seen through windows 50.

It will be appreciated that various exercising devices may be equipped with counters and operator means of the type disclosed in this invention to convert them to a more satisfactory operating unit. For example, an exercising device of a single length of wire bent into a simple U-shape or with a coil or coils formed at the bight of the U may be equipped with the counter and operator means of my invention, the wire portion at the bight of the U providing the biasing means for the legs of the U which form the handle portions. Further, it will be appreciated that the counter may be built into the grips on the handle portions to make a well housed and more compact unit. This invention is applicable to compression devices as well as extension devices and its various applications will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, Various materials such as metals and plastics can be employed in known manners to construct this device.

Various other modified forms of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description and for that reason I wish to limit myself only within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

An exercising device comprising a first handle portion and a second handle portion, means for providing resistance to an induced movement of said handle portions with respect to each other from a normal first position to a stressed second position and for providing biasing of said handle portions for return relative movement from said second position to said first position, said first handle portion having support means affixed thereto and extending toward said second handle portion, counting means mounted in said support means, said counting means having actuator means extending therefrom, said actuator means including an induced movement actuator and a return movement actuator, said second handle portion having operating means mounted thereon, said operating means including an induced movement operator aligned with said induced movement actuator for operation thereof when said handle portions on induced movement reach said second position, said operating means including a return movement operator aligned with said return movement actuator for operation thereof when said handle portions on return movement reach said first position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

